Election 2008

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

This is a friendly reminder from the StateDemocracy Foundation that Election Day across the nation is tomorrow--Tuesday, November 4, 2008.

As part of our mission to help America vote, our website -- www.StateDemocracy.org -- can locate your particular polling place by simply entering your home ZIP code. You get a printable map showing the street address of the official polling place for your precinct, no matter where you live.

Poll sites are not always the same from one election to the next, so we strongly encourage you to double-check BEFORE going to vote. Showing up at the correct polling place is even more important tomorrow given the record-breaking voter turnout -- and waiting lines -- expected this year.

As a further aid to voters, StateDemocracy.org summarizes each state’s rules about absentee ballots, voting hours, identification requirements, write-ins and other voting matters; with a direct link to the website of each state’s Election Board where more detailed information can be obtained.

StateDemocracy.org is a completely FREE public service from the nonprofit StateDemocracy Foundation. This one-stop portal also enables constituents to easily communicate with lawmakers on the federal level and in each of the 50 states.

Since 2001, hundreds of thousands of citizens have benefited from the many online tools our website offers to Deliver Democracy to your Desktop!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Many state and local election officials are encouraging voters to use Absentee Ballots to avoid the long lines and delays expected at the polls on November 4th due to the record-breaking surge in newly registered voters.

Voters in most states still have time to obtain an Absentee Ballot by simply downloading an official application form available through www.StateDemocracy.org, a completely FREE public service from the nonprofit StateDemocracy Foundation.

According to the Early Voting Information Center, about a third of voters could cast their ballots (either in person or by absentee ballot) before Election Day -- up from 20% in 2004. Twenty-eight states allow no-excuse absentee voting by mail, while 22 states and the District of Columbia require an excuse to vote absentee by mail.

- A Polling Place Locator for any precinct nationwide- Links to all state and local Election Boards- Links to lawmakers on the federal level and in all 50 states

StateDemocracy.org also offers free widgets that other websites can install to help their own visitors get absentee ballots or find their local polling place.Since 2001, hundreds of thousands of citizens have benefited from the multitude of online civic engagement tools StateDemocracy.org provides to further the StateDemocracy Foundation’s mission of “Delivering Democracy to your Desktop!”

States 2008 Deadline for a Mailed Application Requesting an Absentee BallotAlabama By October 30Alaska By October 25Arizona By October 24Arkansas By October 28California By October 28Colorado By October 24Connecticut By October 21Delaware By October 31Dist. of Columbia By October 28Florida By October 29Georgia By October 31Hawaii By October 28Idaho By October 29Illinois By October 30Indiana By October 27Iowa By October 31Kansas By October 31Kentucky By October 28Louisiana By October 31Maine By October 21Maryland By October 28Massachusetts By November 3Michigan By November 1Minnesota By October 21Mississippi By October 21Missouri By October 29Montana By November 3Nebraska By October 27Nevada By October 28New Hampshire By October 21.New Jersey By October 28New Mexico By October 31New York By October 28North Carolina By October 28North Dakota By October 21Ohio By November 1Oklahoma By October 29Oregon By October 31Pennsylvania By October 28Rhode Island By October 14South Carolina By October 31South Dakota By November 4 at 3 pmTennessee By October 28Texas By October 28Utah By October 31Vermont By November 3 Virginia By October 28Washington By October 21West Virginia By October 29Wisconsin By October 30Wyoming By October 21

Friday, October 17, 2008

After selling QSS for $250 million last year, Frank Islam tells us he's supposed to be retired, but as we found out earlier this week, he is anything but. He's running FI Investment Group, hosting a television show, and recently signed on as chairman of the State Democracy Foundation, a Bowie-based non-profit portal providing comprehensive voter registration information, online voting tools, and connecting citizens with national and state legislators. But will it connect us with Joe the Plumber?

Frank met State Democracy founder Shukoor Ahmed years ago when Shukoor was running for the Maryland House of Delegates. The two remained friends, and following Frank's "retirement," Shukoor approached him to become the new chair. "With the times we're in, it is imperative that people reach out to their leaders, and we give them the information they need to do so," Frank says, noting the site has increased traffic 400% in the past month.

Here at Frank's Tysons office, State Democracy executive director Ken Laureys tells us he didn't have to think hard about the new chairman: "Frank built a quarter of a billion dollar company, so who better to take our organization to the next level?" Even un-retired, Frank has still managed some travel. He's just back from a European vacation where he traced his wife's Dutch ancestry, finding her parent's original farm and church, which was the same one that Vincent Van Gogh's father once preached at. (Doesn't this story end with Tom Hanks fending off Opus Dei?) Frank also traveled to Barcelona and visited the building where Christopher Columbus met Queen Isabella upon returning from America.

Monday, September 8, 2008

With only 2 months left until Election Day, every candidate is busy pulling out all stops to win. But does that include a campaign website?

Campaigning desktop-to-desktop in the Internet age is becoming as important as going door-to-door. Indeed, a new study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that fully 46% of all Americans (or 63% of all Internet users) are participating online in this year’s campaigns.

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Friday, June 20, 2008

Fueled by increased viewing of online political videos and the use of social networks to gather campaign data and online donations for candidates, use of the Internet in this year's election cycle is shattering records, according to a study released this week The internet and the 2008 election

According to Yahoo – Citizen 2.0

87 percent use news Websites to gather information and learn about politics

A record-breaking 46% of Americans have used the Internet, e-mail or cell phone text messaging to get news about a campaign or to share their views, according to the "The Internet and the 2008 Election" report compiled by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. So far, according to the report, supporters of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) are using online tools for election matters more often that those of rival Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).